Mike SOS: Where did you get the name from?
Chris: Basically it means blood. If you hold a leech at one end and rinse its body through your fingers blood will squirt out of the other end. It's called milking the leeches. I was watching this show about a laboratory that makes antidotes for bio-weapons. It was this one kid's job to milk thousands of leeches everyday for eight hours a day. I could totally relate to this guy's life. Our hope for this band was to escape that type of miserable existence; thus the name Leechmilk.
Mike SOS: What do you guys do for fun when not playing?
Chris: We drink a lot. Some of the guys ride Harleys and other motor sports type stuff. I am really into firearms. We hang out in Atlanta at this place called the Clairmont Hotel Lounge. It's the world's most hideous strip bar. Mostly beastly girls with lots of scars, every one of them real women that will cut you if you're not careful. It's definitely our kind of place; actually, I think we had discussed trying to open a Strip Club/Shooting Range/Bar-b-Que type place that sells cheap beer.
Mike SOS: What are your immediate goals musically?
Chris: We recently returned from a West Coast tour, so now we want to release the thickest, dirtiest, most threatening album that we can create. We are currently in the process of writing it. At this point we have only made small steps compared to what we feel we are capable of doing. We have been busting our asses in every direction for the last three years just to get attention. Now we think we have come to a point where it's time to cut the bullshit and let loose the record that will define us from this day forward.
Mike SOS: What bands do you feel have influenced your musical style?
Chris: We are Southern guys and a lot of our influence, as you might guess, is going to come from those bands that meant a lot to us. We always idolized bands like Crowbar, EYEHATEGOD, and Buzzoven. DeadHorse was a big one for us also. We do have several other influences like Discharge and Black Flag but we basically grew up huffing paint and jamming Slayer tunes in some guy's trailer.
Mike SOS: Where do you feel heavy music is headed?
Chris: I have no idea! I would love to say that bands like Leechmilk are the way its going to go, but then I would have to hang myself for being such a smug little f*cker. These things are hard to predict; we are trying to break free from the molds we have been cast into. I think a lot of the other guys are trying to do the same. Many bands are headed in the stoner rock direction. More power to them; I say that train left along time ago, but hell, they will probably all make a mint, what do I know? We get put in that category incorrectly quite often. That is a real big misunderstanding of what we do. Sorry if I seem a little bitter about that, but my feelings for that genre are bordering on hatred.
Mike SOS: What artists/bands do you consider to be influences that would be surprising?
Chris: Now that's a great question. People don't often realize how music of any kind can make you see things from a different point of view. I listen to a lot of old Beatles stuff. Not the "I Want to Hold Your Hand" shit but the "Lucy in the Sky" drugged out stuff. Those guys were great natural songwriters to begin with; add in mountains of dope and unlimited studio access. The late sixties were a creative orgy for those guys. Other influences would be people like PJ Harvey, Buddy Holly, and Prince all of whom are incredible songwriters. I don't care how metal anyone is, if you don't know how to properly structure a song you're going to suck. I look for inspiration from that angle more than any other.
Mike SOS: What's the scene like where your from, and where has the best scene you've played at been so far?
Chris: The Atlanta scene is harsh. It is a really fickle place. We have some great shows and then shows that are just depressing. All of the bands are great, and we all get along. Mastadon and ourselves are the most active in town and we are all like brothers. We have great shows out of town for the most part -- New Orleans, Savannah, GA, and Portland, OR being our favorite places to play. We always have massive shows their with great crowd response. Albuquerque is sick as well. Savannah, GA would have to be our favorite.
Mike SOS: What are you currently listening to?
Chris: I listen to lots of Swedish dis-core type stuff. DS-13 tops my list. Wolfpack from Germany, all of the Prank records bands like DAMAD and From Ashes Rise. I like Clearlight and the JJ Player stuff. Noothgrush, Burning Witch, and Goatsblood are my doom fix. The Requiem for a Dream soundtrack is always in my player for some reason.
Mike SOS: Which is better from a musician's standpoint, being an indie band or signing to a major?
Chris: Well, I don't have any experience being on a major label but
I have read some horrible things. That doesn't make them true, however.
People often say that major labels pressure bands for hits; I find that
laughable. No one can pressure me to do shit! So I suppose that has never
been a fear of mine. The thing about business relationships in music for
me is simple. We have faith in whoever believes in us. If we feel like
they believe in our band then they have our trust. It doesn't take long
to sniff out a fake. We are going to do what we want musically regardless.
If someone thinks they can sell it, God bless the poor bastard.